[Closed] High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013

An Act to make provision authorising expenditure in preparation for a high speed railway transport network.

BE IT ENACTED, by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Preparatory Expidenture

(1) The Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, incur expenditure in preparation for a high speed railway transport network.

(2) The network referred to in subsection (1) is a network which —

(a) involved the construction of railway lines connecting at least —

London,

Birmingham,

the East Midlands,

Sheffield,

Leeds, and

Manchester, and

(b) connects with the existing railway transport network as well as with such other parts of the transport network (including roads, footpaths, cycleways, airports and light railways) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(3)The expenditure which may be incurred under subsection (1) includes expenditure on —

(a) preparation for the construction of any railway line and any other infrastructure proposed to be included at any time in the network referred to in subsection (1), and

(b) preparation for the provision of services as part of that network.

(c) in providing compensation in respect of property likely to be affected.

(5) In this Act, references to incurring expenditure include incurring liabilities.

(6) Expenditure incurred under this section is to be defrayed out of money provided by Parliament.

Financial reports

(1) The Secretary of State must prepare a report on expenditure under section 1 in relation to each financial year.

(2) Each report must contain details of —

(a) expenditure incurred under section 1 during the financial year to which the report relates (with capital and resource expenditure specified separately in respect of each head of expenditure referred to in section

1(4)(a) to (c));

(b) the extent to which expenditure incurred under section 1 during that year represents an overspend or underspend as against the budget for such expenditure for the year;

(c) the likely effect of any such overspend or underspend on a total budget of £50.1 billion in 2011 prices (which includes construction and the cost of rolling stock);

(d) total expenditure incurred under section 1 up to the end of that year;

(e) sums or assets received in that year in connection with expenditure incurred under section 1.

(3) Each report must also contain an account of the vocational qualifications gained during the financial year by individuals employed by persons appointed under an enactment to carry out activities in connection with preparing for, and constructing, the network referred to in section 1(1).

(4) In this section, “financial year” means —

(a) the period beginning with the day on which this Act is passed and ending with 31 March 2015, and

(b) each subsequent period of 12 months.

(5) The Secretary of State must lay each report under this section before Parliament as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of the financial year to which it relates.

(6) No report is required in relation to a financial year in which there is nothing to record under subsection (2)(a) and (e.

Extent, commencement and short title

(1) This Act extends to England and Wales and to Scotland.

(2) This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.

(3) This Act may be cited as the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013.

The Rt. Hon. Sir Jonathan Horncastle
Chief Whip (2014-Present)
Secretary of State for Transport and Infrastructure (2013-2014)
MP for Cities of London and Westminster (2001-Present)

Britain's rail network is something that I will always be a proud and keen advocate of. The benefits of upgrades to our system as a whole are numerous - not only are jobs created in the short term, through the building and maintenance of new lines, but the economic opportunities which arise due to the ease of transport between different parts of our country are immense. That, of course, goes without mentioning the opportunities presented in terms of tourism, and in terms of allowing families, friends and business partners to meet one another easily, quickly and - ideally - cheaply.

I am sure that those Members who know me personally will attest to my dogged support for railway nationalization, and a focus upon electrifying existing lines in the North and Midlands of England, and in Wales, while also reopening stations closed unneccessarily, to the detriment of rural communities, during the tyrannical reign of a certain Doctor Beeching.

My views on the wider rail network may not align with those of this government, but as an MP representing a constituency which would be directly effected by this scheme, I find it difficult to oppose a chance to modernize our rail infrastructure. My constituency in the beautiful and historic city of Leeds is one with great potential and great willpower. However, many in my constituency feel alienated from the "hub cities" of London, Birmingham and Manchester. It often feels as if these areas are given an overabundance of funding and attention, and I know that colleagues from Sheffield will attest to the strength of this sentiment, too.

For Leeds to unlock its potential as one of the great English cities, we must invest. There are few investments more valuable and worthwhile than stronger links to the nationwide transport network, which will allow businesses to move easily between cities, and allow those down in London easier access to the world's most beautiful city. I would advise them all to pay a visit to the fabulous Royal Armouries Museum.

However, I would make the following impassioned plea to the Secretary of State for Transport - please, Secretary of State, do not allow this ambitious proposal to go the way of so many others. Do not, if you value the cohesion of this country and the development of the Northern economy, allow this project to fall just short of the mark, due to incompetence or unwillingness, leaving it as a line between London and Birmingham, with the can continually kicked down the road on the extension northwards. If this proposal and this plan succeeds, we might see a much-needed Northern Renaissance - if they fail, then instead, the Tories will have fueled the North-South divide in the most clear terms, and will have only themselves to blame.

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